Temple Sacrifices in the Future

Sacrifices After Christ's Return

Ezekiel's prophecy about a temple includes details which show it to be actively sacrificing. Scholars have argued up and down about whether Ezekiel's prophecies were fulfilled in Zerubbabel's or Herod's temple or are yet to be fulfilled. Most believe that Herod's temple couldn't have satisfied these prophesies, but at the same time can't see how it might be possible that another temple, following Christ's crucifixion would be necessary. Firstly let's look at some of the details about Ezekiel's temple prophecy.

Ezekiel's Temple

There's no doubt that the temple that Ezekiel prophecies is a working temple.

Ezekiel 43:10-27 "Son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. 11 And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its ordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and perform them. 12 This is the law of the temple: The whole area surrounding the mountaintop shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple. 13 "These are the measurements of the altar in cubits (the cubit is one cubit and a handbreadth): the base one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of one span. This is the height of the altar: 14 from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits; the width of the ledge, one cubit; from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits; and the width of the ledge, one cubit.

Skipping down to verse 18:

18 And He said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: 'These are the ordinances for the altar on the day when it is made, for sacrificing burnt offerings on it, and for sprinkling blood on it. 19 You shall give a young bull for a sin offering to the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,' says the Lord GOD. 20 You shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar.

And it goes on for a good few more verses talking about the different sacrifices.

Now let's go back to: Ezek 40:38-46, where its talking about the same temple.

38 There was a chamber and its entrance by the gateposts of the gateway, where they washed the burnt offering. 39 In the vestibule of the gateway were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to slay the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering. 40 At the outer side of the vestibule, as one goes up to the entrance of the northern gateway, were two tables; and on the other side of the vestibule of the gateway were two tables. 41 Four tables were on this side and four tables on that side, by the side of the gateway, eight tables on which they slaughtered the sacrifices. 42 There were also four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, one cubit and a half long, one cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high; on these they laid the instruments with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43 Inside were hooks, a handbreadth wide, fastened all around; and the flesh of the sacrifices was on the tables. 44 Outside the inner gate were the chambers for the singers in the inner court, one facing south at the side of the northern gateway, and the other facing north at the side of the southern gateway. 45 Then he said to me, "This chamber which faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple. 46 The chamber which faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar; these are the sons of Zadok, from the sons of Levi, who come near the LORD to minister to Him." NKJV

So there's no doubt that it is a working temple. There are eight tables for slaughtering the sacrifices, there’s an industrial scale altar, there are Levitical priests who are descendents of Aaron and Zadok and even sin offerings are being made. It's interesting to note though, that even in this working temple, there doesn't seem to be a mention of a physical High Priest.

Many Christian theologians have been troubled by the implications of Ezekiel's prophecy, which on the one hand includes several elements which have never been seen in previous temples, whilst including animal sacrifices. Here's an example:

Ezekiel 40:1-4 Textual corruptions and the bewildering architectural and ritual details baffle the reader. But the most persistent problem is that of the interpretation of these chapters, on which godly scholars have differed through the years. Were the manifold details of this vision (Ezek 40:2) meant to be actualized at some future date? What part will the bloody sacrifices play in any future economy (40:38-43; 43:18-27; 45:13-17; 46:13-15)? Will the Zadokite priesthood, without a high priest, function again (40:45-46; 42:13-14; 43:18-27; 44:15-31; 45:18-20; 46:19-24)? Who is the prince and who are his sons (44:3; 45:7-17,21-24; 46:1-8,12,16-18)? Who are the downgraded Levites (44:10-14), the uncircumcised foreigners excluded from the sanctuary (44:5,9), and the resident aliens who receive property (47:22-23)? How are the geographical problems relating (1) to the stream issuing from the Temple (47:1-12) and (2) to the apportionment of the land among the twelve tribes (47:13-48:29) to be explained? (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)

However, Expositor's Bible Commentary, a respected recent commentary reaches the very clear conclusion that Ezekiel's Temple is indeed a prophecy for the Millennium. The table below uses some figures from Expositor's to illustrate two of the reasons in support of this view. The first reason is that the common architecture of the six gates in Ezekiel's Temple have not been seen in earlier temples. Secondly, as theWycliffe Bible Commentary notes above, the apportionment of the land among the twelve tribes described in Ezekiel 47-48, (which is very clearly associated with the time of Ezekiel's Temple) also hasn't been seen yet.

Comparison Between Ezekiel's Prophetic Temple and Herod's (Second) Temple

Common Architecture of the Six Gates of the (Third) Temple Prophesied in Ezekiel 40.	Models of Herod’s (Second) Temple Showing No Signs of Common Architecture of Six Gates.
From Ezekiel 40: Source: Expositor’s Bible Commentary. “Figure 1 Gate Systems for all Gates of the Outer Court” From Ezekiel 40: Source: Expositor’s Bible Commentary. “Figure 2 Temple Complex” – showing six gate systems as above. (North is towards the top of the page)	Picture of Jerusalem’s Model depicting the Late 2nd Temple Period, showing no sign of the six common gate systems described in Ezek 40. Note Solomon′s Porch on the Southern (left) flank of Temple Mount and to the North (right) of Solomon′s porch, the two stepped Gates of Huldah (see also the illustration below) emerging from the entrances below the southern exterior flank of the Temple Mount into the main Court of the Gentiles towards the central Temple buildings. Jerusalem's Model in the Late 2nd Temple Period is a miniature of entire Jerusalem, scaled 1:50, as it was in the year 66 AD. The model was built by the archaeologist and geographer Michael AviYona and his colleagues, between 1962 to 1966. It is based on the writings of Flavius Josephus and archaeological findings from the relevant period from Jerusalem and other contemporary Mediterranean towns. The model, which includes a replica of the Herodian Temple is constantly updated by new archaeological findings. See also the following real-time visual simulation model of the Herodian Temple Mount developed jointly by the Urban Simulation Team at UCLA and the Israel Antiquities Authority. Herod's Temple Simulation 1 Herod's Temple Simulation 2 These reconstructions are based on the excavations at the Temple Mount under the direction of Ronny Reich and regional archeologist Gideon Avni.
From Ezekiel 48 Source: Expositor’s Bible Commentary. “Figure 5 Land Allotment in the Millennium ”	Historical Land Allotment in Ancient Israel

Furthermore (as the Wycliffe Bible Commentary also observes), a river of living water didn't flow from under the porch of any of the historic temples, to the sea as it does from the Temple prophesied in Ezekiel 47.

Ezekiel 47:1 ¶ Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
11 But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

Interestingly this appears to correspond to another Millennial prophecy in Zechriah 14.

Zechriah 14:8 ¶ And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Sacrificed Prophecied After Christ's Return Zechariah 14:20-21

Another link between the Millennial prophecies of Zechariah 14 and Ezekiel 40-48 becomes apparent on close inspection. Indeed arguably Zechariah 14:20-21 is a VERY important means of pinning down whether or not Ezekiel’s temple is prophesied for the future.

As we've already discused, It's abundantly clear that the context of Zechariah 14: is Christ’s return / the Day of the Lord. He’s fighting the armies around Jerusalem. The lifting of the siege of Jerusalem is discussed. The keeping of the Feast of Tabernacles in the Millennium is also mentioned. Let’s pick this point up inZechariah 14:20-21.

20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, “holiness unto the lord”; and the pots in the LORD’S house (the Temple ????) shall be like the bowls before the altar.

But the clincher is in verse 21:

Zechariah14:21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe (cook) therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts (the temple).

Expositors Bible Commentary says that when it says “seethe” or "Cook" in (v.21) it means "cook the sacrifices." That relates to the fact that for certain types of sacrifices, the priests and the person making the sacrifices cooked and ate some of the sacrifices.

Arguably then Zechariah 14 makes it clear. Ezekiel’s temple and the sacrificial system therein IS INDEED millennial. The sacrificial system will be re-established in the millennial temple, and will be an integral part of God’s commanded system of worship.

For more information see: Immersion: Rivers of Living Water.

Return to the start of Paul's Post Crucifixion Temple Sacrifices a Judianity website ?
© www.pauls-post-crucifixion-temple-sacrifices.info March 2006.

Is the the "law of Moses" really "done away" in Galatians? If it was, why in the predominantly Jewish New Testament church wasn't any fuss recorded, yet in Acts only one small and predictable change about the circumcision of gentile proselytes caused massive turmoil?